1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to visual aid to help in backing a vehicle trailer ball hitch to the cup on the trailer tongue, and more particularly to an angled mirror which allows an overhead view to the driver of the joining of the ball and hitch.
2. Background of the Invention
The connecting of hitches between a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, such as a house or boat trailer is a difficult procedure normally requiring the attention of two people, one to operate the towing vehicle and the other to direct the driver of the towing vehicle and the other to direct the driver of the towing vehicle to move the hitch member of the towing vehicle toward the hitch member of the towed vehicle and to stop the towing vehicle when the hitches are aligned for engagement. When an additional person is not available, the problems of the operator of the towing vehicles increases appreciably, and a considerable amount of maneuvering is encountered before the mating portions of the hitching apparatus are properly aligned for engagement.
In the field of alignment devices for hitching a towed vehicle to a towing vehicle, it has been the general practice to employ a rod or post attached to the hitch of the towed vehicle to indicate the location of the engaging portion of the hitch. Although such devices have served the purpose, they have not proved entirely satisfactory under all conditions of service for the reasons that considerable difficulty has been experienced in visibility of the rod or post and difficulties encountered in judging the distance between the post and the hitch of the towing vehicle. Further difficulties have been encountered in judging the angle at which the towing vehicle is approaching the hitch of the towed vehicle.
One such prior art towing hitch alignment device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,376 to Neeley which discloses a hitch viewing mirror which mounts directly to the tow vehicle, either a special tail-gate clamp for a pick-up truck or a magnetic mount for a passenger car. U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,182 to Haworth discloses a trailer hitch alignment device having a base member upon which a convex mirror is fixed. Two side members are hingedly attached to opposing edges of the base member so as to fold in sequence across the mirror in the closed position or to expose the mirror in the open position. The side members each have an angled slot, formed in the edge opposing the hinged edge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,289 to Johnson discloses an optical target system for facilitating a vehicle operator's effecting alignment of the respective hitch assembly components of a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,101 to Roberson discloses an alignment device which detachably mounts to a tailgate of a pick-up truck for visually aligning a hitch ball on a drop hitch bumper of the truck with a coupler on a tow bar of a trailer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,352 to Mills discloses a trailer hitch alignment device utilizing two masts having acrylic flags attached thereto mounted upon the hitch components of the respective vehicles to provide visual reference points for the driver.
One of the most critical problems confronting designers of aligning devices for towing and towed vehicle hitches has been the indication of precise alignment of the coupling portions of the hitches of the vehicles which is overcome by the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a guiding apparatus for assisting the operator of a towing vehicle to align the hitch member thereof with the hitch member of a towed vehicle for interconnection.
Another object is to provide guiding apparatus which may be utilized by the operator of a towing vehicle without the need for assistance by another person in aligning the hitch of the towing vehicle with the hitch of a towed vehicle for interconnection.
It is still another object of the invention to provide aligning equipment which is self-contained, portable, and easily and quickly mounted on a towed vehicle for use in in coupling the vehicle for use in coupling the vehicles together, and then easily and quickly removed after such coupling has been accomplished.
Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily apparent as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof.